The First Amendment to the United States Constitution says nothing about the rights of a journalist to gather news information. In this exercise we will use a case study involving journalist Nellie Bly to explore what rights journalists have and do not have in gathering the news.
Readings and Resources
Online Resources
- Nellie Bly, by Wikipedia
- “Ten Days in a Madhouse,” by Nellie Bly, posted by “A Celebration of Women Writers,” edited by Mary Mark Ockerbloom
- “Woman of the World: The Story of Nellie Bly” (Resource Page), by Brooke Kroeger
Instructions
Who was Nellie Bly?
- Conduct research on the life and work of Nellie Bly.
- Based on Bly’s undercover reporting assignment at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, answer the following questions:
- Is Bly guilty of trespassing to report on the conditions of the asylum? Why or why not?
- Is Bly guilty of harrassing the management of the asylum? Why or why not?
- Is Bly guilty of fraud in her misleading of asylum officials?
- Did Bly break any laws by investigating the asylum?
- Does the means justify the ends in journalism? Why or why not?
Evaluation
TBA
